Juniper plant named ‘Monsan’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Juniper plant named ‘Monsan’, characterized by its compact, low growing, outwardly spreading, recumbent and rounded plant habit; lacy and graceful leaves that are initially yellow and become yellow green in color with development; and tolerance to low temperatures.

Botanical designation: Juniperus×pfitzeriana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Monsan’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Juniperplant, botanically known as Juniperus×pfitzeriana, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name Monsan.

The new Juniper is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of theJuniperus×pfitzeriana cultivar Aurea Improved, disclosed in U.S. PlantPat. No. 2,491. The new Juniper was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the parentcultivar in Dayton, Oreg. in 1995.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by stem cuttings in acontrolled environment in Visalia, Calif., since 1996, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Juniper are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Monsan have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and culture such as temperature and lightintensity, without however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Monsan’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Monsan’ as a new and distinct Juniper cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, low growing, outwardly spreading, recumbent and        rounded plant habit.    -   2. Lacy and graceful leaves that are initially yellow and become        yellow green in color with development.    -   3. Tolerant to low temperatures; not susceptible to winter tip        burn.

Plants of the new Juniper can be compared to plants of the parent, thecultivar Aurea Improved. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Azusa,Calif., plants of the new Juniper differed from plants of the cultivarAurea Improved in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Developing leaves of plants of the new Juniper were yellow in        color whereas developing leaves of plants of the cultivar Aurea        Improved were yellow green in color.    -   2. Fully expanded leaves of plants of the new Juniper were        yellow green in color whereas fully expanded leaves of plants of        the cultivar Aurea Improved were light green in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Juniper.

The photograph at the bottom of sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘Monsan’ grown in a container.

The photographs at the top of the sheet comprise close-up views oftypical branches and leaves of ‘Monsan’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and following description were grown infive-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery for about three to fouryears in Visalia, Calif. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from about 24° C. to about 29° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from about 4° C. to about 12° C.

-   Botanical classification: Juniperus×pfitzeriana cultivar Monsan.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the    Juniperus×pfitzeriana cultivar Aurea Improved, disclosed in U.S.    Plant Pat. No. 2,491.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Stem cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About five months.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten months.        -   Root description.—Medium to thick, fibrous; white to beige            in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Perennial evergreen shrub; compact, low growing,            outwardly spreading, recumbent and rounded plant habit.            Freely branching; about 20 lateral branches per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 56 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, young: Close to 2C. Color, woody:            Close to 200D.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:            About 5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Narrow, scale-like.            Apex: Acute. Base: Clasping; sessile. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous; durable.            Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing foliage, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 1B. Fully expanded foliage,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A; with development,            overlain with 189A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:            Similar to lamina. Venation, lower surface: Midrib, close to            185A; lateral veins, close to 148A.-   Cone description: Plants of the new Juniper have not been observed    to produce cones.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Juniper grown in the    garden have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests    common to Juniper.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Juniper have been observed to    be very tolerant to rain and wind.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Juniper have been observed    to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to 43° C.    Plants of the new Juniper are not susceptible to winter tip burn.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Juniper plant named ‘Monsan’, asillustrated and described.